Parsons' point production didn't win him SEC Player of Year, but his overall production did
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Scott Carter
Early in the season when the Gators were trying to find their footing, head coach Billy Donovan often talked about how senior forward Chandler Parsons must play a key role as the team evolved.
Donovan and Parsons both know the versatile Parsons could average 15 to 18 points per game if needed, but that's not what the Gators relied on most from their 6-foot-10 small forward.
They needed Parsons' ability to handle the ball at times – he averaged a team-high 3.6 assists per game – or to be a force on the boards. Parson led the Gators with 7.8 rebounds per game.
Parsons had his moments scoring, such as a season-high 19 points in a 78-51 win over Alabama a week ago on Senior Night. But overall, his scoring average dipped from 12.3 as a junior to 11.4 this season, and he was only the Gators' fourth-leading scorer.
Also, Parsons did not have a 20-point game after four his junior season, including a career-high 29 points against Georgia. But Parsons didn't win SEC Player of the Year on Tuesday for his scoring.
He won because of all the other contributions he made that Donovan stressed to him during the season.
In fact, Parsons has the lowest scoring average for an SEC Player of the Year in the last 15 years. Thanks to research from UF communications specialist Dawn Zinsmaster, check out the graphic below to see how Parsons played his role perfectly:
|
Year |
Player |
School |
PPG (SEC rank) |
|
2011 |
Chandler Parsons |
Florida |
11.4 (25th) |
|
2010 |
John Wall |
Kentucky |
16.8 (5th) |
|
2009 |
Marcus Thornton |
LSU |
20.9 (2nd) |
|
2008 |
Shan Foster |
Vanderbilt |
20.6 (1st) |
|
2007 |
Derrick Byars |
Vanderbilt |
16.9 (4th) |
|
2006 |
Glen Davis |
LSU |
18.3 (2nd) |
|
2005 |
Brandon Bass |
LSU |
17.5 (3rd) |
|
2004 |
Lawrence Roberts |
Miss St. |
17.1 (6th) |
|
2003 |
Keith Bogans |
Kentucky |
15.9 (7th) |
|
2002 |
Erwin Dudley |
Alabama |
15.7 (11th) |
|
2001 |
Tayshaun Prince |
Kentucky |
16.2 (6th) |
|
2000 |
Dan Langhi |
Vanderbilt |
22.4 (1st) |
|
1999 |
Chris Porter |
Auburn |
16.5 (6th) |
|
1998 |
Ansu Sesay |
Ole Miss |
19.2 (1st) |
|
1997 |
Ron Mercer |
Kentucky |
18.3 (1st) |
